Love, Marriage, and Dependency. A quick view to a complex concept.

    What is love? Actually, love is too large and too complex to be truly understood or measured. Words cannot suffice for an accurate definition. However, this blog post would not have been attempted if I did not believe it to have some value in explaining the many views held about love. People can look the world over and will never arrive at a truly satisfactory definition of the word. Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines love as "a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties." But love cannot be so narrowly defined because their are many types of love. True Love, falling in love, making love, imperfect love, unconditional love, brotherly love, and so on and so on. Many people see love in many ways. I see love as the unselfish giving of ones self for the purpose of for yourself and/or the other person or thing.
    Many people are generally confused towards the nature of love. A person may think that because his mother never let him ride the bus to school until his senior year out of fear of his getting hurt would be love. Actually what motivated the mother could have been something other than love. This would deal in a person's conscious and unconscious purpose in the mind.
    One cannot love another unless he or she loves themselves first. It would be impossible, for example, to shun our own self discipline and at the same time be disciplined in our care for another. In other words, we cannot be a source of strength or companionship to someone if we are not the same to ourselves. If we neglect that aspect of who we are the relationship, no matter how passionate or dedicated it appears to be, will be short lived as a result of a break down in the commitment on one end.
    Today, there is this view of love as being "feminized love". A term coined by Sociologist A. Douglass in 1977. He claims society today has taken the concept of love and put it into a nice little package which defines love in terms only of emotional expression, verbal self disclosure, and affection. This leaves no room for the physical aspects of love. By physical, I am not talking about the outward display of physical attraction, but the providing of instrumental help in physical activities.
   To reinforce this, another study was conducted by Stinnett, Carter, and Montgomery in 1972 in which by questionnaire, couples were asked to define the basic needs of marriage. Among those listed were love, personality, fulfillment, respect, communication, finding meaning, and integrating past experiences. Love itself was measured by feelings. Providing help in the physical sense was not reflected upon.
    Also, men and women tend to have different views and ways of loving. Women, on one hand tend to express love in a verbal sense, wanting to share personal experiences and feel emotionally secure. On the other hand, men show their love by more physical means, such as helping in activities and the obvious, sex. 
   Love also gives men a certain aspect of power over women. Study upon study has shown that the current concept of love has exaggerated women's dependency on men because society tends to put across the view that women need a love based relationship more than men and this puts women at a disadvantage. However, there is another approach and view that suggests men also depend on marriage as a form of secure loving relations more than women. Women tend to have closer ties to friends and relatives which reduces the need for a companion.
  Because in today's society we emphasize self growth and autonomy, most people have unconscious weapons against dependency in love relationships.
  A good relationship can exist only between two strong and independent persons. So many times dependency has been confused as love and over the years society has strengthened the relationship between the two. Today however, we are seeing the ill effects of dependency within the relationship and it's impact on love.
   Dependency may appear to be love because it causes people to attach themselves to one another, but in actuality, it is not. It actually diminishes a persons ability to give "real" love to another. Individual sufficiency and an understanding of the wants and needs of the other as well as possessing a sincere and heartfelt desire for the significant other to grow and mature as person in their own right is a reflection of the true love that creates healthy, sustainable, and enriching relationships.

A Sunday Morning Terror (that never happened- Just ask my Dad)

       My life is a peculiar one to me. I have moments that I feel could happen only to me. People who know me have even said as much. "Sumner, tell me about the time your dad ran over you while you were delivering papers." or "Sumner, tell me about the time that machine launched an 8 inch, 15 foot long tree 100 feet and it hit you in the chest." or "Sumner, tell me about the two times you got hit by a car on Virginia Beach Boulevard.". On and on I could go. Things seemed to happen to me. Some were due to my own carelessness and youth. Other's due to anothers carelessness and/or youth. I was rough on myself. I can't figure it out in retrospect but sometimes I felt like that guy in "Unbreakable". Lately, I've been thinking about it in a deeper way. I thought about it in a bit of a spiritual way. Like, what if God has your day already planned out? What if there truely is a plan for you that God only knows and a few of us are fortunate to understand? Then, while all of this predestination stuff is going on, you go about your "free will" kinda life. Doing what you desire to an extent. But there is a plan for you. Perhaps you have to interact with someone later in life that in turn, fulfills their purpose or You had a place to be years ahead you had no idea of or way to forsee.
   My point is all this unbelievable stuff you endure is actually God's grace saving you for what lies ahead. I'm sitting here as I type watching a documentary called "Chosin" about the survivors of a tremendous and traumatic experience during the Korean war. I sit and think of my life and relative to theirs I have nothing to tell. But nonetheless I have a life to live and a story to tell.
   The story of my dad running over me one cold and dark Sunday morning while delivering papers is one my dad denies ever happened. I sat on the back tailgate, wrapping and banding Sunday papers as dad drove slowly down the street and I tossed the pappers onto the walkways and driveways of my customers. Well, one street was done and Dad had to turn around to catch the next street on my route. He pulled into a driveway and upon backing out, the back of the truck dipped with the bumper inches from the street. My feet, which dangled off the tailgate became crushed between the road and the bumper as he backed out. When that happened combined with the truck backing up, I was quickly thrown off the tailgate and my face slapped the asphalt. I had no time to even think about my feet or my face as he continued to back up, oblivious to what was going on behind him. I rolled over, dazed, and realized the truck was backing over me. I quickly grabbed the bumper as it drug me with it while I screamed, "Dad!! Dad!!", but with the windows up and Frank Sinatra on the 8 track he couldn't here me. So, I continued to be drug back another 15 or so feet until he put it in drive and basically drove off.
   In serious pain and moaning from what amounted to twisting both ankles and slapping your face to the cold street, I managed to crawl to the curb and sit there until my Dad realized I wasn't back there tossing papers. He drove up to where I was sitting and rolled down his window. "What in da hell are you doin?", I looked up, tears in my eyes, holding my ankles, "You backed over me and took off.", not pausing a second he replied, "I did no such thing, here, let me help you in here." He came around and helped me into the truck. Saying not too much, he took me home, literally carried me upstairs to my bed and tucked me in. "I figure you ain't gotta go to Church this Sunday and since your feet hurt like you say, I'll finish the route.". That was an event lived only by myself and witnessed by no one. But it happened as all the other stuff I mentioned in the beginning of this post. Why share it all at once and spend all my ammo to keep your attention? As if my narcissism has any validity at all. I do love sharing my life though. My mother and sister say I should go into stand up comedy but it doesn't work like that. My humor is spontaneous and brought about by external triggers. To stand on a stage and be funny when those around you expect it is just too much. I like to say I am Mark Sumner all day long and what you get today is very much what you'll get tomorrow and aside from those flaws I am constantly working on, I can do no more than be myself.

Sibling Rivalry

Two boys two boys
I call them my sons
One hits the other
and quickly he runs

One son is bigger
the other quite small
but neither is able
to quit and stand tall

As siblings they fight
they use hurtful names
they can't seem to stop
their jealousy games

He started it dad
He said this and then
you never quite see
the way things begin

So each is at fault
each gets your word
and you pray that they listened
and the lecture was heard

When will it stop
this rivalry sibling
where the trivial things
cause all their quibbling

At 13 and 11
they act quite their age
and pride is the center
of much of their rage

I feel as they grow
and mature with each year
they'll realize they're brothers
and get it in gear

A little brother should
know where to look
big brother shouldn't have
to feel his left hook

Big bro is protector
and the small one must see
that fighting each other
is not how it should be

I know that my son's
are not so unique
brother's fight all the time
to see who is weak

Love is what's really
found in their hearts
and that's what they should feel
before fighting starts

I'm waiting it out
and trying to cope
giving advice while reaching
for the end of my rope

I think time is the key
and to never surrender
when things get chaotic
and they spin like a blender

They'll come to themselves
as all brothers do
and that's when the fighting

will forever be through

WHO IS TRUE?

Can I maintain
This blog about thought
and keep my integrity
from being sold or bought?
I post what's deemed worthy
and good for a read.
They represent my motives,
and where I think they can lead.

A poem is easy,
if it comes real quick.
I write them and share them,
and they show how I tick.

I'm the guy who needs
to share what he thinks.
With me, I start typing.
While you might need some drinks.

To share is essential,
to who I want to be.
Transparent and forthcoming.
What you're reading is me.

Bob Dylan once wrote
to be invisible and real.
To live that way tells you
I have no secrets to conceal.

That's not who I am,
but who is at this point?
I'm no new messiah,
that you'd want to annoint.

But I am sincere
and my hearts on my sleeve.
Each friend that I earn.
I hope never leaves.

Being true to yourself
is a goal for my life.
It's important to me,
my kids and my wife.

I mean who would you want?
Some chameleon of change?
That takes every moment,
and his emotions arrange

To suit who he's with
who he needs to impress
I think we need more truth
and illusion much less.

I try to be the man
I want all to see
but at the end of each day,
the mirror shows me.

Friends

Working away
from family and friends
is hard to do
So my heart pretends

They are right here now
within my thought
where memories
are always caught

Days of smiles
of laughs and debate
bring me joy
that's none too late

I cherish those
who cherish me
the true blue friends
who will always be

The ones I've earned
the ones I trust
the mettle they are made of
will never rust

I only wish
that I can be
a friend to them
that they are to me.

THANKYOU ALL FOR BEING MY FRIEND AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Update for those who care.

At work in D.C. and enjoying the fact that I am currently gainfully employed. It comes in spurts in my profession of surveying and right now it's over time and over due. My contributions to the blog have taken a hit as a result but you must bear with me as I take this opportunity to be kind to my creditors. Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for the next post. It may just be worth it as I see it.

As Sumner sees it: Tebow and Denver's ride of 11'

As Sumner sees it: Tebow and Denver's ride of 11'

Tebow and Denver's ride of 11'

So Timmy's gone
Yes, Tebow lost
his fan's in hiding
the posters tossed

The ones that claimed
He'd beat the Pats
are forced to say
To Brady, congrats

His passing was
by far, the better
he followed the plan
to it's very letter

Six touchdowns thrown
a record to boot
now every debate
from here is moot

Tebow was fun
and he gave quite a show
but after this game
he had to go

Go to practice
or the drawing board
the Super Bowl trophy
is not his reward

The trophy he earned
is for having the heart
to never surrender
and do your own part

For never giving up
or losing hope
for throwing deep passes
as if on a rope

The Steeler D
was burnt, it's true
but against New England
that play wouldn't do

Tebow and Denver
were taught a good lesson.
That never in Foxboro
should they ever go messin

So the season moves on
but not with the man
who follows the Lord
and does all he can

To praise with his play
and win at the end.
If he proved anything
it's that he'll contend

He's good for the Bronco's
and with practice he'll show
the year was a glimpse
of how far they can go.

Congrats Tebow and Denver on a season well played, we enjoyed all the drama, you're offense displayed, in all the close games, and never giving in, to show us how faith, can lead you to win.

Christian Principles and the Servant Heart

Christian principles are those gifts given to us by the Spirit upon the acceptance of Christ as our personal savior. The day of Pentecost was the birth of our faith and the Christian Church by means of the Holy Spirit coming down and occupying the very souls of those in attendance. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter and promised the father would send it for all believers. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 4:26.

That “Comforter” better known as the Holy Spirit has the ability to profoundly change a person from the core. Isaiah 43:18-19 tells us “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” It is this “New Thing” that each person will demonstrate in their character because not only will they be seeking to serve with a Christian heart, they will also be building their own testimony as they grow in Christ through works. Each person will act with the attitude of Servant Leadership. The term ‘servant leadership’ in its modern context was developed by Robert Greenleaf, but the idea can be traced to antiquity and is associated with a range of religious beliefs. Religious practice has often centered on others but as societies have developed the concept of service has become associated more with corporate values and consumerism.

 The Spirit guides the Christian heart and this is a stark contrast to what we perceive as service in the secular humanist world. As Christians, we must approach all our work with the humility of Christ. This is best demonstrated in John 13:1-11. In this chapter, we see Jesus has just finished the last supper with his disciples in the upper room. It is at this point that he begins the washing of the disciple’s feet. A great act of humility and service. This is the example Jesus left for his followers. We must humble ourselves and become a servant to those whom we choose to assist. Pride must die. John 3:30 states “He must become greater, I must become less.” This was John the Baptist speaking and he knew his calling and in doing so fulfilled his purpose and Gods will on this earth. This is our goal as Christians To be consumed by the Holy Spirit in such a way that it changes whom we are and how we see the world around us. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul confirms the Isaiah verse by saying “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.” We live by the Spirit and the Spirit convicts as well as affirm that what we do is pleasing to God. Living in the Spirit assures the principles are applied.  This Spirit guided approach will demonstrate itself with such Christian principles as stewardship, accountability, clarity of values, and an overall integrity and honesty in all facets of the Christians life.

The Christian worldview has to be charitable and cognizant of the needs of the community around it, but it also must be aware of the world and its evil. Jesus instructed the disciples to be discerning while ministering in the world. “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, so be as cunning as snakes and as innocent as doves.” This is a warning to the Christian who must go out into a world that most of the time will reject the Christian message. In addition to rejection, those who live “in the world may also attempt to manipulate and take advantage of the sympathetic Christian and his or her desire to help a neighbor. Some situations require careful application of discernment. Discernment, as defined by Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary is “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.” This ability is also recognized as the skills necessary to judge things as true or false. 1 Corinthians 2:15 tells us “but he that is Spiritual Judges all things.” This is not the hypocritical, nonproductive, faultfinding type of judgment we are told to avoid but instead a judgment that is able to discern between right and wrong, falsehood and truth, manipulation and sincerity. It is this Biblical principle that will serve those working to give within the cities.

In summary, it should be noted that the Christian way is a life long journey of spiritual growth that brings us closer to the father with every heartfelt attempt to learn Gods will. In this life long growth, we will find ourselves at times functioning more in the flesh than in the Spirit in some aspects of our lives. We must continually pray these areas for enlightenment and growth so we minister better to the world around us. It is with this humble recognition that we hope to encourage others to seek this journey with us as we serve.

The sometimes hidden purpose and the light at the end of the tunnel

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

Sometimes we just can't see the good in the things that happen to us that on the surface appear to have no merit. We go through trials and hardships or events of misfortune and think there will never be a time to look back on this event as the precursor to a very positive turn or the beginning of something good. It is only in retrospect that we can attempt to see a residual event or circumstance revealed as being possible due to this seemingly negative situation we found ourselves in.
An example for this would be my early college years. During my time in highschool I had not thought college was even a possibility for me. My grades weren't all that great and I never put myself at the intellectual level of my Honor Roll friends. I saw myself going the route of vocational school until my highschool went out of business in the summer of my senior year. So, right there, on the surface many of my friends as well as myself saw this as a bad thing. For one, the school we had attended and become connected to was no more. Many of my friends would go to summer school in order to graduate with a diploma from our now defunct school. Others would go to a public school and finish there. As for myself and a good number of my friends, we went to another private school that was similar to our own. Both of our schools would share highschool dances so many of us knew one another. The only thing with me was I was required to go to summer school because unlike my old school, this school offered only one type of diploma, an academic diploma which is the one required for college admission. So, I went to summer school for a language and advanced algebra.
The blessing was still not apparent for me. Sometime in my senior year, my class was to attend SAT testing at Granby highschool. Before my original school went out of business, I had no intention of taking the SAT. Now it is a requirement of the new school I attended. So I took the test. Before taking the test, it asks you to name three colleges you would like to attend. I said UVA, William and Mary, and Virginia Wesleyan, all as a lark.

I took the test with no delusions about being accepted to a college but about a month later the letter came. I was accepted to Virginia Wesleyan College. So, in just this short story I presented you with a story of bad news. My school of the past 4 years had closed leaving me without an alma mater. But as time played out I realize I was enrolled in the one school that required me to do the steps necessaru to attend college. Because of that one event that seemed so bad, I went to college.
Sometimes the event is one of adversity. An illness, a loss of a job, a church facing a declining membership, a trying time for a marriage and a family. When adversity comes to us we often think, "What have I done wrong?" "Why is God punishing me?" But this is wrong thinking! Adversity can be our greatest motivation for spiritual growth or our deadliest means of discouragement. The difference depends upon our understanding of God's purposes through adversity.
Joseph, the favored son of Jacob in the Old Testament, endured many things at the hand of his brothers. His brothers were jealous because their father favored him and gave him a special coat of many colors. Few of us have known the level of betrayal and suffering that he knew as a result. Worse yet, Joseph had dreams that seemed to suggest that God also favored him. The brothers grew to hate this "dreamer" who dared to believe that God had a special plan for his life.
His brothers grew jealous and at one point tore the special coat from his body, threw him in a dry well, and sold him to the Egyptians as a slave. As if this were not enough he suffered a false rape accusation after spurning the advances of Potiphers wife, and he was thrown into the Pharaoh's prison where he languished for another seven years. These chain of events would be seen as a curse in the eyes of anyone who lived it except Joseph. He had a gift from God of interpreting dreams and upon interpreting the dreams of a couple of his cell mates he gained the attention of the Pharaoh who called him to interpret a dream of his in which a great famine was revealed. Joseph showed no resentment or anger towards the injustices he had suffered and in turn was made second in command in Egypt and in charge of gathering the stores for the coming famine. During the famine, his own father and brothers came to receive food as a matter of suvival. In all, over 21 years had passed. Joseph had the opportunity to scorn his brothers and show them what had become of the brother they had tried to kill. But this was not what Joseph did at all. He looked to them, gave them food, and spoke the verse we all should hold to our heart in times of trouble, pain, and adversity. To their surprise and relief Joseph said to them, "You meant evil against me but God meant it for good..." (Genesis 50:20-21). He had been enlightened to see the blessings and the purpose in all that had taken place.
Does this mean that every tragedy we experience has a silver lining? That all evil is really good, and that all our suffering is somehow being orchestrated by God?
Not at all.
The world is full of senseless violence, horrifying hatred and a whole range of actions and attitudes that attempt to thwart the will of God.
It would be bad theology to assert that the Lord is orchestrating all this evil, as the tension of life builds toward some grand and glorious ending. But one thing that both the Old and the New Testaments teach us is that God has the power to transform human evil into divine good.
  As we journey through difficult times in our lives, God often by his grace turns those difficult times into blessings that come in our future. His promise to us is that all things will work together for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. This theme comes to us in a number of different places in the scriptures. (Romans 8:20)

 

The OCS disciplinary essay.....my attempt to turn the tables

NOTE: I have changed the names of the particulars in order to protect their privacy as well as respect it. Also,if you notice frequent repetition in words and phrases it is because the paper was required to be a specific amount of words and it will start in block letters at the extreme top left hand side of the paper and each page will end at the extreme bottom right hand side of the paper. So, at times I would merely repeat titles and phrases almost blatantly as a means of letting the chain of command know I still had good spirits and was not taking the reprimand in such a way to damage my morale. As you progress through this particular Officer Candidate Program, you build familiar and at times informal relationships with the cadre'. Where in the typical OCS program such as Fort Benning, 14 weeks is the length Candidates must endure in order to receive their commission. The Fort A.P. Hill program I was nominated and chosen for was a one year intense school where there is an Orientation weekend followed by a two week summer drill called the "Hell Weeks". The rest of the program involves once a month 3 day weekend drills beginning at 7 pm Friday and ending with a dismissal at 5 pm Sunday afternoon. On average for each drill you would receive 3 to 5 hours of sleep yet you would undergo typical Army standards of lights out at 9 pm and reveille is at 5 am. This is adhered to on paper only because the cadre would always create a situation that would require the class to feign going to sleep and then we would post look outs at the barracks door so that tasks and duties could be performed under red lense flash lights. Another unwritten challenge each candidate had was the class did not end upon dismissal. Once the candidate went home, he had to attend the monthly class meeting and it's location could potentially be at any location based on which candidate would be hosting for that date. You behaved as if you were an officer and through out the month you prepared training schedules and Platoon assignments much as you would do before any drill. An officers work is never done when it comes to the welfare of his troops and this was the way it was played. You had to have reports and evaluations and after action reviews sent to your assigned TAC officer by a post marked date or it would result in disciplinary action. So, this is where I begin my post. The disciplinary action taken against me was for the October 1991 drill and was due to my missing the postmark on a paper I was to write. At the same time that my OCS was taking place, I was also attending Old Dominion University and majoring in Psychology. The particular fall semester of this drill was 17 credit hours with two lab courses. Needless to say, I was really burning the candle at both ends. How I maintained the two while also working part time at a local grocery store is the stuff of legends. Alright, enough back story, on with the letter to my TAC (Teach Advise Counsel) Officer.

Memorandum for Capt Morgan

Subject: Why I do not follow orders.


    This RBI is a result of my failure to turn in a previous RBI on the subject, "The Principles of Fitness". I personally believe that the subject of this particular RBI should be titled "Why I did not follow an order" instead of "Why I do not follow orders". To say why I DO not follow orders is to imply that not following orders is part of my character, which I believe to be incorrect and untrue. I see this occurrence as an isolated incident of neglect on my own part and that this, like any mistake, can be corrected. If not following orders were a part of my character, then it would be most difficult to correct because it would be instilled into my personality.
In both my civilian life as well as my military life, I have historically done my best to do as I was instructed by my superiors. There are times however, of personal failure or in other words, times of letting myself or others down. But they were learning experiences. Such is the case here. I do not believe I would be here in OCS class 34 for the Virginia Army National Guard if I were not historically dependable to others.  I should rephrase that last statement to say How could I have made it this far if I was historically undependable to myself and others? I realize that there is much room for improvement and that there will always be room for such work. I shall always seek to improve myself as a person knowing I will never be perfect. Yet I will sincerely strive for that perfection as if it were attainable. I believe we are all capable of performing any task before us. The key to that achievement is proper motivation, desire, and the effort put forth to achieve that goal. I believe that as a team Class XXXIV can achieve anything if the desire and motivation is universal among us. But back to the topic at hand, although I have not digressed too far.
Following orders is both an individual duty and a group concern. If the individual does not carry out the order he was tasked with, the group will be affected either directly or indirectly. The reason why I did not follow the specific order that led to this RBI was due to a lack of self discipline. In my career in the military thus far, including OCSOCS program and I sincerely believe I have the ability to do so. I should accept all constructive criticism in order to improve myself and disregard all destructive criticism so as not to lower my own opinion of myself.
Officer Candidate School is just that, A School. A learning environment where lessons are learned through teaching points and ones own mistakes. I have made a mistake and I do not intend to repeat it. One can look back on their actions and corrects them so as not to revisit his faults.
The subject of why I do not follow orders requires an me to come up with the reason why I failed at this juncture of the program. I am using this RBI to look at my self introspectively and and determine what needs to be done. This is not just a jumble of words to mail in before the required post date. It is a tool. A tool I intend to use to know myself. One of the main tools of good leadership is for the leader to himself and to seek self improvement. This is my intention here. This prepares me to be an officer. Incidentally, by doing this I am also following a direct order from my TAC Officer, which shows a direct contradiction to the required subject of this RBI.
As far as why I do not follow orders is concerned, I reiterate by stating that this is not prevalent in my character and that to constantly look for reasons is a process that can quickly become a quest for excuses. Excuses are a way of avoiding the real issue or problem. To give an excuse is to externalize or project the cause onto something or someone else. I realize that I am the cause of my own problems and that ultimately only I can act to solve my problems. I can seek counsel and advice on actions to take but only I can take the action necessary to correct the behavior. I prefer to stress the solution rather than the problem in this disciplinary essay and that is how I intend to go about my life. Looking for solutions.

Mark Sumner
OC, VaARNG, OCS, Class 34

A Tebow poem to aggravate the haters.

Being a fan
of football isn't enough
I have to like Tim Tebow
and praise him off the cuff

I take each win he makes
and dismiss his average stats
but brag about the way
He'll play against the Pat's

Saying it's far too odd
This season we've been through
Of comebacks and heroics
as things he'll often do.

He beat the Pittsburgh Steelers
with passing, how unique.
Critics hate that he's still playing
and say his game is weak.

I say his game is special
and his nature is a freak.
He's just not the kind of player
in a quarterback you'd seek.

He took his teams fortunes
and turned them to a plus
but that's when all the haters
began to grumble and to fuss.

So he lost to team New England
and two more before the close.
But Pittsburgh is the win
and we've forgotten all of those.

So now the rematch comes
and the fans they just can't wait
to see if Tebow gives them
a way to beat the hate.

The game is one we know
The Bronco's stand to lose.
But if that really happened,
it's just not headline news.

The shocker to the world.
At least to those who doubt.
Is Tebow wins again.
Now that is worth a shout.

It really doesn't matter
how the ending comes to be,
because Tebow is the player
the faithful want to see

So now go Tim Tebow,
add more legend to your name
and do just what God tells you
each play in next weeks game.

The power of thought and it's affects on our circumstances

What we think about is powerful. More powerful than you may realize. You have to act on what you think about. Every problem you experience, you experience in thought. If the problem is in your mind, then the solution is also in your mind. You become what you think about. As you think so shall you be. What you think about expnads in your life. Pessimism breeds pessimism and optimism gives birth to more optimism. In the world of thought, everything you think about is already here. If you can conceive of something in thought, it can be brought into form. Now don't get silly here and follow me. I don't want those of you to begin unsuccessfully thinking about Unicorns in the living room. Ok, back to my point. If you tell yourself you can't do something, then you likely will not be able to do it. Richard Bach, the writer of "JOHNATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL" was quoted as saying "argue for your limitations and they most surely will be yours". But if you have a belief that you can do the task at hand, your chances of being successful greatly increase. What is the difference between a child who can swim and an adult who cannot? Is it the child possesses a different physical capacity than the adult? No. The child has a belief that he can do it and they are acting on that belief. The same holds true for many other things such as riding a bike. If the person knows how to ride a bike, they do not have a physical abilty now that seconds before they did not. The ability was always there, but the belief was not. The key is changing that belief and that all lies in the world of thought.
    This is all based on taking responsibiltyfor your own actions and what you desire to be. To seek your own meaning. To avoid bad faith.
    In order to avoid bad faith, you must accept your own responsibilty and do not give control of your life over to others. We alone are responsible for who we become. Bad faith is a blind conformity to the world around us and results in a great self deception. A person thrown into a situation must make something meaningful of their lives. An example of this would be a black child born in the American South during the early 1800's. The chances are that this child will be a slave. But it is thew childs responsibility to search for it's own meaning. Not to conform to the world around it. To do this would be leading a life of nonbeing or a life that is meaningless and void. The goal is to seek meaning in this void or in the situation you have been thrown into.
    The Existentialist view is that each person controls their own life and is the ultimate creator of the self. According to Sartre, "man is nothing else but what he makes of himself." The creation of the self is a life long project. A person who truely seaks his or her own meaning is constantly changing. Evolving. The person becomes a new person every moment of their life. This is how I perceive the term "being and becoming". We alone are responsible for what we become. We cannot become the person we should be without the true seeking of our own meaning in life. This is the one key thing we must take responsibility for.
    Because we are constantly becoming everyday, it is difficult to put a lable on who we are. As the great Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard once said, "Once you lable me, you negate me.". That is, to give us a specific category or description gives the one who hears the label a feeling of having arrived at some destination where complacency sets in and we cease to be humans  being.
    Because man at his birth is thrown into an environment not of his choosing or control, he must make choices about how to respond to this world he exists in. The choices guide man in his search for meaning. We are doomed to make choices. Therefore we are in control but we are not in control. Sometimes choices require a leap of faith. A belief that your actions and thoughts will be just.One must not follow orders or societal norms and more's strictly because that is the way things are done. Man must follow his own mortality and the nature of things to determine his actions in cases of leaps of faith.
    In the case of the black child in the South during the 1800's, he is still in control of his own destiny. By accepting his thrownness and letting it control him is an act of bad faith. If he recognizes his master, then he is a slave. A man is not a slave if does not recognize his master as such. Both master and slave are slaves themselves to the laws of nature. A master is only a master  if he is recognized by his slave as a master. To do this would be for the black child to disrupt his own nature of things. Becoming conscious of someone else to the extent it takes away your humanity places your own existence in flux and your own nature into an inoperable state. Man, must be autonomous in his actions and duties. If you do what you morally ought to do then you are free. Man must do what he knows is right. If the slave was freed as a result of the emancipation proclamantion, he may be legally free in a formal sense, but until he activates his thoughts and his mind toward a path of moral and just thought, then he is but a victim of his environment.
   Man's life is based on his own perceptions, thoughts, and the actions subsequent to those thoughts. As Sartre states in his book "A More Precise Characterization of Existentialism", "thoughts are projects and commitments, his feelings are undertakings, he is nothing other than his life, and his life is the unity of his behavior."


    While in college I took a course in alcoholism counseling and after spending a significant amount of time in the rooms occupied by recovering alcoholics of AA, I became jealous of the tools they have at their disposal for gaining a more sane ands serene view of the world around them and the events that at times triggered them to drink. The AA Bible so to speak is a book refered to as the Big Book. In it are passages that can seen as almost devinely inspired for helping the recovering addict and alcoholic change the way he percieved and reacted to the world. My favorite paragraph is what most members call "page 449". It deals with acceptance. Here it is:
And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

Character Assassination

It's a character assassination
with no body guard in sight
alone we try to recover
from this act that wasn't right

If they can't have you no one will
the assassins, once your friends
Your path looked different and so they sought
a means to achieve their ends

They spoke of you to those who listened
As untrustworthy and a liar
The damage done, they could not see
and they threw you in the mire

Why is it so in days like these
We lose our friends to blindness
When all we ever gave the other
Were happy times and kindness

Will we ever find a way
To somehow make amends?
Because the assassins who kill you now
Were yesterday your friends

Get the broom

If every word we spoke that was meaningful was tangible and real and it floated from our mouth to the sky, and every word that was worthless and ignorant fell to the floor, I would say many of us have a pretty good mess to clean up.

Tangents, Points, Views, and Opinions- A look into my mind

I find a journal is much like a replacement for a friend who cannot or will not listen. Like that friend who will sit and hear you out and remember exactly what you said. Maybe after a long talk to this friend I can come away with a better understanding of what exactly I'm going through. What maybe I should do, if anything. This kind of friend is priceless because you can go back to him later and he'll tell you exactly what you said, what you were feeling, the questions you asked, everything that you expressed on that specific day. Some of the conversations are sad, some are happy, some are introspective, some angry, and some confused. Almost always I feel better to some degree after finishing our one way talk.
   It's probably different for each owner of a journal because we all have our reasons for using one. They document a point in time in our life. They allow the needed release of pent up feelings or emotions.
   With me, I feel misunderstood at so many times in my life. Because of this, I rarely express deep or introspective thoughts to those I am around or associate with. My wife knows I'm peculiar or shall I say I'm not not like many around me in how my mind works and thinks. I think on things that many could or would care less about. There is a running joke that my favorite category on Jeopardy is "things only I know" for a thousand Alex. My views on religion or spirituality seem to fit no dogma or set way of thinking that can be put into a collective. I have managed to avoid believing what someone has told me to believe only because they say so. I say this regarding spirituality and religion.
    If left to my own devices politically I know I'd get it wrong, but my opinions and influences are molding me into a more independent thinker than someone who thinks or acts based on what a leader says.
    I believe we are all individualized expressions of God and we actually belong to no collective intellectually. Maybe we do based on our place of birth, our skin color, our weight, our education, our religion or our profession. We tend to gravitate towards people who look, act, or think as we do. I don't see that as what so many generalize as "racism" because racism is not a catch all phrase for someone to throw out there if someone whose melanin is a different shade does something we don't like. Not everything is racial and I wish the ignorant of this world would stop trying to manipulate others who are ignorant into believing this is the case. If anything, that in itself perpetuates ignorance.
   Intellect is of it's own and it demands freedom and liberty to grow separately from other individuals own intellect. You cannot loan someone your intellect. What they have is theirs alone and they alone are responsible for it. By intellect, I mean those thoughts and feelings we have on things regarding the world around us and our relation to it. Furthermore, it's relation to us.
    I listen to AM radio and it is mostly political information. But in that political dialogue is a rationale in a belief on the purpose of the individual and society. I mean as far as me and my neighbor, it's our own morals and desires that guide how we act.
How we tolerate their behavior or assist them when they are in need. How we as humans are autonomous and seek our own fulfillment. God gives us that right as far as what we desire does not impede or affect another to do the same. We must understand that it is not the right of the individual to demand anything from another be it monetary, physical, or emotional in order to benefit themselves or another. It is by choice that we should give of ourselves and I believe the current systems of governance around the world are removing that desire from each of us by forcing us to give and in turn causing us to simultaeneously depend on and despise our government. Government is heartless and unfeeling yet it claims to care for us. Ironically run by humans, these humans tend to lose their humanity while in it's service. It dulls humanity and those who become a vehicle of it's growth remind me of vampires who were once human and compassionate. But once bitten, they are infected by it's powerful trance. I believe very much in the individual and his ability to govern himself.  If the individual deviates and affects anothers right to be, then they are dealt with by the whole. Much like antibodies attack a virus.
   Government is like mold on bread. A little and it won't hurt you. Hell, it may even help. But too much and it over takes the entire loaf and becomes worthless and harmful. It grows when left to itself and it imposes it's will upon the whole loaf. It uses something that was once a slice of bread with purpose to into something that serves only to make it larger. The slice being the individual.
The musings here were but a random train of thoughts I poured upon my keyboard. I apologize if it appears disconnected and without direction. But t the very least, it may give you some insight into the mind of the individual who's posts you are reading.

Egg Shells

Egg Shells all over
and no where to walk
waiting for the fury
when it comes out and talks

We cower and hide
so the rage stays asleep
No one is at fault
but words cut so deep

Words only words
but they cut like a knife
so impulsive, but remembered
and they scar you for life

They are yelled and directed
at those undeserved
but they hit what they seek
and you feel so unnerved

It lasts sometimes three
or four saddened days
then suddenly it's over
smiles break through the haze

Why does this happen?
What did we do?
Is their life so unhappy
are we the cause of their blues?

I pray that it ends
That we all find a way
To know we are friends
and the words that we say

Build up and encourage
Support and embrace
They give love as we struggle
to move at life's pace

But words can do damage
and those words, they don't die
and the ones who receive them
at times don't know why

So, clean the shells off the floor
Sweep them out with the hate
Because your friends want the real you
and today's not too late

The Middle East and the Conservative Blindness to Blowback

Ron Paul and his approach to foreign policy has caused a great deal of concern among conservative and Republican pundits. I get the feeling they are also adding fuel to the fire by calling him dangerous and ill-informed regarding the Middle East. I do not agree with this assessment at all. I feel Dr. Paul is very well read and familiar with the history of the region going back not only to the 1948 resolution recognizing Israel as a sovereign but even further, beyond the Crimean War and possibly back to Saladin. He knows actions have consequences well beyond the intended result. For the United States to be so naive and feel it is above being seen as an aggressor and occupier in a foreign land so as to set itself up for retaliation is to say we as a country cannot be honest with ourselves regarding human nature. If we had a foreign occupier here within our borders with it's military might dictating our very quality of life we may feel compelled to respond in kind. Our bases abroad must also convey an arrogance that equals a squatter living in your home "for your own good and the protection of our national interest". I am not saying some of our operations abroad are not just and necessary but I am saying we should be aware of the potential blow back when we go in and impose our will against another sovereign nation.

I also know the United States will never leave Israel to fight on her own. But let me say this about that. Israel needs our help like they need a over protective mother to follow them to a street... fight. Israel is much more aggressive and to the point when it acts against a threat. We, on the other hand, are tentative and cautious to a fault. My feelings on military actions is you should always act with overwhelming and completely destructive force. When a terrorist goes into an Israeli Disco and blows himself up to kill a few dozen Jews, the Israeli Mossad finds out who their family is and where they live. Then they send an Apache' attack helicopter to their house and they obliterate it. The logic is the terrorist doesn't care about himself but he does love his mom and dad and his wife and his children. The deterrent is you kill us and your family goes with you. That to me, is no joke. If you feel Israel is not protected by God for reasons of fulfilling future prophecy just check the Yom Kippur War where Israel was blindsided by every Arab nation in the region and were outnumbered in incomprehensible ways. The result was after 30 days Israel had destroyed and pushed back all the nations who had attacked and gained more land than they occupied prior to the initiation of the conflict. Israel is not to be played with. I find it peculiar that all the proposed Iranian Nuclear sights are inexplicably having catastrophic explosions and their top nuclear scientists are disappearing.

A leap of Faith

A LEAP OF FAITH

A Leap of Faith
Is built by prayer
with an understanding
That life ain't fair

But faith alone
without works is dead
so we all must leap
to move ahead

Things aren't always
Crystal Clear
So our faith in God
Combats the fear

It lets us believe
That God knows our days
and he protects our steps
and guides our way

So when we see a chance
To improve our lot
We hold to faith
with all we've got

We weigh the move
and see it's right
pleasing to God
in his pure sight

So with that vision
and a Spirit Guide
we take that leap
to the other side

We know that life
is walked while blind
and the clues we need
we never find

So the faith that grows
from the mustard seed
will be exactly
all we need

It's the times we worry
if God is there
that our faith must grow
to see he cares

A leap of faith
we all must take
and with his love
it's one we'll make

The Story of a remarkable man.....obviously abridged

My dad casts a large shadow. A man who grew up as a boy during the great depression. Working as a child in a movie theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan cleaning the aisles after shows for a dime an hour. The money he received went to his mother and father in order to help feed his seven other brothers and sisters. From there he enlisted in the Navy during World War 2 and he initially was stationed at Pungo Airfield, a small airstrip located in what then could be called deepest, darkest, Princess Anne County, now referred to as Virginia Beach. While there he met my mother on a hot and muggy bus. Initiating the conversation by offering to open her window for a breeze, he managed to get invited to a church social that day. He was taken by the young Margaret Anne Hargrove and she was also with him. Her home was located at the area now housing the Virginia Beach Court Complex. The home she was born in still stands and is part of an organization called Hope Haven that offers assistance to underpriviledged children. The house had a long gravel drive connecting it to a dark North Landing Road and on one ocassion he kissed my mother on the porch while my Grandfather unknowingly looked on. Expressing his great displeasure in the two, he chased my father completely down that dark driveway with a shotgun, threatening to kill my father and throw my mother in jail for their display of affection. My father recalls running down the darkened road as fast as he could all the way to the airfield which was a minimum of 5 miles deeper into the darkness of 1943 Princess Anne County.
From there my father was sent to the Pacific Theater and the Island of Saipan to give fight to the Imperialist Japanese, and then prepare for the invasion of mainland Japan. His stories of Suicide Cliff where hundreds of native Japanese jumped to their deaths, some with babies in their arms. This was to avoid the atrocities the Japanese military promised the American savages would commit on them if they captured them. Then he would change the tone to lighter stories of Japanese soldiers sneaking into his camp only to watch movies on the other side of the bedsheet as my father and his buddies watched unaware. He discovered their presence from the still hot cigarette butts on the ground nearby.
Thanks to the bomb, my dad was spared an invasion of the mainland that was sure to result in millions of deaths, both American and Japanese. That decision quite possibly assured my existence as well as my brother and sister.
When he returned to the states he made the decision to come back to Virginia, where he married my mother and built a house on Kempsville Road in 1946. The house still stands and it is still the family home. A house built so well for only 7,000.00. He went on to become an auto mechanic and eventually owned and operated Sumner's American Service (AKA Sumner's Amoco) on the corner of Virginia Beach Boulevard and Newtown Road at the Norfolk, Virginia Beach line. He ran the station for 35 years and supported our family very well with hard and dedicated work. He became a Freemason in 1963 and soon there after a Shriner, which represented the cream of the Freemason fraternity, walking in the same footsteps as American's George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
A rock of the family and an example of great character and ethics, he lived well and provided in ways he could never be thanked completely for.
In 1998, while driving a small MG midget that typically was used in parades, he had a massive stroke, lost control of the vehicle, and was "T-Boned" by a Ford Explorer traveling roughly 55 miles and hour. It would seem that any man of typical means would have died from the impact combined by the stroke, but not this man. In a coma for over 3 months, he awoke to his family and recognized them all. Now the family he took care of so well is charged with caring for him. He is still of sound mind, and has the ability to state his opinion and views with the same vigor he did in his early years. At 87, he remains a rock to the family as well as a blessing for every day we have to share. His modesty would not approve of such a grandiose story yet it is true. Every bit, yet ironically it leaves out much of the things he did to demonstrate his incredible stature. The breed of man and woman that came out of his generation is indeed a cut above and although we and other generations after his may claim extraordinary will and ability to perservere, it is a truthful claim that the people of his years were a cut above. They die today at an alarming rate and their story survives on the mouths and words of those who can remember and document it for future generations. I feel so priviledged to be the son of such a man. John Edward Sumner Sr., my father. 

Proud of it. Big builder of character.

The Journal, The friend

What is it now
That we seek when alone
When all of our friends
Are on PC or phone

When we sit with our thoughts
and wish someone cared
when we think we are less
and at times we feel scared

We aren't where we wish
Our plans have gone south
So we write in our journal
the teeth grit in our mouth

Nervous we grow
and doubtful we seem
when times are so hard
on our own self esteem

So we sit there alone
and fiddle with pen
we put it to paper
and the catharsis begins

We write of our dreams
and our feelings of stress
in the journal we write
as we quickly confess

Each flaw that we see
each mistake we perceive
is placed there before us
and the words never leave

They sit and remind you
where you were on that day
the way that you thought
and the words you could say

That journal to you
is the friend you so need
the one who will listen
never do you plead

For a minute of time
or a friend to confide
because the journal is there
it won't run and hide

It won't judge you or laugh
when you feel like your dumb
it won't keep you from feeling
when everythings numb

I have many, all full
and I still write you see
because the best friend I can have
is the one I call me

Ron Paul's Foreign Policy and the world of today.

The world has become a very small place compared to the world of the framers. Things that they would have considered no place for our influence are now key pieces in a chain of commerce that we have become an integral part. You cannot be isolationist exclusively. The Monroe Doctrine was established for our Country to maintain it's sphere of influence, namely the Western Hemisphere. The other side or the Old Side of the world was to be left to the European Nations as their Sphere of influence. It was done to avoid more European intervention in Latin America but it also molded our Foreign Policy almost up to the conclusion of Reagan's second term. It was the oil however, that brought us to Iraq's doorstep and things haven't been the same. If you read T.E. Lawrence, he would explain the quagmire we would be creating for ourselves by involving the U.S. in Middle Eastern affairs. The conflicts are at times thousands of years old and tribal in nature. We do not relate to circumstances as they do. We opened a Pandora's box doing two things; Teaching the Saudi's how to drill for oil and refine it, and the creation of Israel in 1948 by the United Nations, thus displacing a large number of Palestinians who believed the land was theirs. Actually the land has changed hands so much it is hard to assess who's it is. Anyway, as you can see, it isn't so cut and dry.

I'm just a soul who's intentions are good.........

A little recognition.

I treasure the opportunity to teach and learn myself. This appointment has been as beneficial to me as it is to those I speak to. To teach is to know, to know is to study, to study is to learn, to learn is to grow.

To judge or not to judge........at your own peril. Are you Spiritual?

So many times in life we hear we should not judge another or anything and to tolerate is what is just. I suggest another perspective.

1 Corinthians 2:15 >>

The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment

We have rarely heard this statement uttered in common every day conversation. It has an almost arrogant tone to its words. We, as Christians living in a secular world are slow to offend and turn off others with words that appear self-righteous or perhaps condescending. However, if we truly walk in the Spirit and that is to say Spirit footprints outnumber Flesh footprints significantly and in such number that even others take note of our testimony. If this were the case, we would claim the above verse without hesitation and with a knowledge and understanding that God and his word will never lead us down a wrong path.

But he that is spiritual - The man who is enlightened by the Holy Spirit in contradistinction from him who is under the influence of the senses only.

Judgeth - Greek: "Discerns." (margin); the same word as in the previous verse. It means that the spiritual man has a discernment of these truths about which the sensual man was blind and ignorant.

All things - Not absolutely all things; or not that he is omniscient; but that he has a view of those things to which the apostle had reference - that is, to the things which are revealed to man by the Holy Spirit.

Yet he himself is judged - Greek, as in the margin, "is discerned;" that is, his feelings, principles, views, hopes, fears, joys, cannot be fully understood and appreciated by any natural or sensual man.  This is a matter of truth and universal observation. The reason is added in the following verse, that as the Christian is influenced by the Lord and as the natural man does not know him, so he cannot know him who is influenced by him; that is the Christian.

We know the other verse. It is popular among the secular and the passive Christian. By passive, I mean non-active in his or her own church activities. A person who professes to believe yet bears no fruit.

The verse reads like this-

Matt. 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

This is the verse so many use to try to shame Christians for discerning poor behavior, ethics, morals, and values: the "judge not lest ye be judged".

This verse is not speaking to not judging at all -- it is speaking to not judging unfairly or any other cheap and selfish way. Read the rest of the story ...

Matt 7:2-5 "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged [if we judge with an evil heart or dark intent, His (Gods) judgment of us will reflect it; if we judge nobly with honesty and justice, His (Gods) judgment of us will reflect that, too, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you [if we use extremes or exaggerations or other fleshly means, our judgment will reflect it and judging with fairness and compassion will likewise be reflected in Gods judgment of us. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye [Meaning to point out minor sins, in Jesus' example here, and pay no attention to the plank (or large digression) in your own eye [our own sins, even and especially those we will not admit, are magnified by our selective blindness. How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' [Judge him of his "minor" sins] when all the time there is a plank in your own eye [In other words, sins that are greater or  sins in our own lives which we do nothing about or think we are above. Jesus then rebukes - You hypocrite* [pointing out the sins of others while by pretense thinking of ourselves as above sin], first take the plank out of your own eye [sincerely ask the Lord for forgiveness and learn and live the Truth and Light by His Word], and then you will see clearly [which means be in a righteous position] to remove the speck from your brother's eye [to judge and to help him out of his sin]." At Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan, Jesus was talking to the multitudes gathered there after hearing of His message and of His healings to beseech them to not become like the Pharisees and hypocrites who think they are above sin.

You see, people in Today’s time of societal tolerance of all things, no matter the relation it has to the Spirit or even the condition of a new and struggling Christian, have their own spin on the famous Romans verse.

They say………… (I use the word they to imply an adversarial relationship between the people who hunger for righteousness, truth, and a stronger faith and those who live on the moral “edge” where any criticism is seen as being intolerant and noninclusive in this land of “Diversity”. I said They say, “You have no right to judge me!” there is no one who can judge but God. It is not our place to put our own brand of morality on another person, place, or thing.”

I say it is our duty as responsible Christians to astutely Judge all things. I will even go so far as to say we should see certain stereotypes and use them as a tool for discernment. We should use prejudice at times as well.

A May 2009 Article in an AMA Journal stated this observation.

I think generalizing and prejudices are healthy.

I think it is essential to learning and growing… an integral part of human intellect… the ability to notice and extrapolate patterns in seemingly unpredictable and inconsistent chaos. Every scientific hypothesis is a presupposition, a prejudice, that gets proven or dis-proven in scientific experimentation… they are formed when we take many separate observations and induce a connection that may or may not exist; and we often utilize the irrational imagination to derive testable rationalizations and connections.

Without the ability to generalize, humanity would still be swinging from trees throwing fecal matter at one another… or, at the very least, we would not have invented fire yet, nor rocks or sticks. We would not have been able to observe one monkey using a stick and deduce that we could as well. We would not have been able to observe that one stick has a use and induce that others could as well.

Social stereotypes are no different than those of the physical sciences that have evolved technological understanding… psychologists and sociologists do it. The difference though is the fact that you and I don’t have Ph D’s in the subject matter. That fact alone is what turns us from being taken seriously as objective scientists to being taken as bigots.

This is where we should come to understand that all discernment and Judgments must be done while walking in the Spirit for them to be met with approval from God. If you question your motives then you most likely are wrong.

The following verses will be helpful in your understanding of this and of today’s lesson.

1Cor. 6:2-3 Do you not know that the saints [the saved; Christians] will judge the world? In addition, if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Prov. 3:21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;
John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.  hate and disapproval is seen as grounds for dismissal from the offended group.
* Jesus' use of "hypocrite" in this verse is "hupokrites" {hoop-ok-ree-tace'} meaning an actor, stage player, a dissembler, pretender.

As Sumner sees American Politics today

I watched the Iowa Caucus and was not impressed with the results. Santorum spent so much time and capital in Iowa that if he didn't win or run a close second his campaign was over. Mitt Romney did well to maintain his typical 25 percentage points and Ron Paul brought himself some exposure but not all of it was good. Perry is contemplating stepping out, Gingrich muddles on, Bachman appears dilusional, and Huntsman was never in this to begin with, meaning he has put every egg into the New Hampshire basket. New Hampshire is one week away and I feel Huntsman will be the new Santorum there and if he isn't, he will bow out. I also feel Bachman will have another poor showing and will most likely drop from the race. Perry may or may not be there and if not his votes will most likely go to Romney because of his economic and jobs emphasis. Gingrich is going to make it to South Carolina as is Ron Paul due to financial backing. After these next two primaries of New Hampshire and South Carolina, the field should be significantly thinned. Florida should have Romney, Paul, and Gingrich remaining. Paul will take it to the end because of his backing and his desire to get his message out which may very well be his real intent. Gingrich may give a good showing but should bow out to Romney by super Tuesday. So, with all of this said, Romney appears the nominee. Hard to give you all the in's and out's in so few words but when you step back and look at the psyche' of the conservative voter and the way conservative media favors one candidate over another, the end result is not so difficult to assess.
For me, I agree with many of Ron Paul's proposals and  feel a return to strict Constitutionalism is paramount to national survival both economically, and in terms of personal liberty. The foreign policy of Paul will be the fatal flaw in his campaign and it would be wise for him to tone that aspect of his approach down and perhaps even put that plan on hold. The Middle East is still a tinder box and it does have a significant affect upon the quality of American lives domestically and abroad. It should be handled with expert diplomacy and to take a hands off approach creates a tenuous situation at best. Iran, and other nations being led by radical islamic agendas, especially the belief that by destroying Israel they will expedite the coming caliphate and end time, must be monitored and curtailed. Paul's policy is consistant and in line with Constituional limits but it is not needed to be implemented regarding this region in such a sudden fashion. Paul must realize this but to compromise his long standing principles is not in his make up. Therefore Romney will out last, out campaign, and out spend Gingrich to earn the nomination which is what he has lived for over the past decade.
Romney and Obama are economically polar opposites and I feel Romney has prepared himself so well for what he faces that he should dispatch Obama quite handily. However, the incumbant is not to be trifled with and Romney would be well served to remember it was Barrack who beat the impressive Clinton political machine. The question is will Obama be able to get out in front of the large amount of negative press and economic despair he has presided over during his presidency, not to mention the lack of transparency he claimed he would demonstrate and the conspiracy riddled justice department he appointed. I feel the country is in for a political shift of power and it arrives none too soon.

A New Year, A New You

Here it is
A new year to live
We should focus each day
on new ways to give

To give of our time
To give of our mind
To give when it's needed
Is much more than kind

It's a movement that molds
over time who we'll be
When before we were selfish
Today others see

That we aren't who they thought
We aren't what they said
We forgot what was past
And now we look straight ahead

We think of today
and we plan for tomorrow
We help those in need
When they ask us to borrow

We turn and we share
Whatever they need
We try to reflect
Compassion, not greed

So, no matter your past
It's over and done
You cannot change what was
It has set with the sun

It's a new year for you
For a new way of living
Make the example you show
be one based on giving

Happy New Year to all who took the time to read this far............and even if you didn't, I hope you see more happy days than sad.